Columbia businesses selling out of Jackson memorabilia

COLUMBIA — Slackers CDs & Games in downtown Columbia sold out of the "Essential Michael Jackson" CD within an hour of news spreading about Jackson's death, employee Ted Sharpe said.

He predicts the store will sell out of the remaining used Jackson CDs within the next couple of days.

Other Columbia businesses are experiencing the same buying frenzy since Jackson’s death on Thursday. Residents are emptying stores of albums, videos and custom T-shirts, all remembering the King of Pop.

At Ozark Airbrush T-shirts in Columbia Mall, owner Phillip Peters started selling memorial T-shirts with Jackson’s image after people asked him where his Michael Jackson shirts were.

“People are clamoring to buy a piece of history,” Peters said.

Peters is selling three designs in his store and on eBay. His newest design features a young Jackson, simply stating “Michael Forever."

Peters said he listens to Michael Jackson music all the time. He first remembers hearing "Thriller," his favorite Jackson song, when he was in the Air Force.